Lautaro Martinez: 'I Told Mac Allister Before the Game I'd Score the Winner'

Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez admitted he predicted his match-winning goal in the World Cup 2026 semifinal against England, revealing he had told teammate Alexis Mac Allister exactly what would happen. "I dreamed about that goal, I swear. I told Alexis I would score it. I told him I'd come on and bring the win for the team. And that's what happened – the ball fell to me. Enzo also scored a great goal. Now that I've calmed down a bit, I can say: this team showed again what it's made of," Martinez said. The game swung Argentina's way after England ran out of steam. Thomas Tuchel's side pressed hard for an hour, took the lead, but then dropped off physically, which the Albiceleste capitalized on. "They got tired. They pressed for 60 minutes. After that, they had nothing left. They started well and even scored a goal. Then they dropped back, and that gave us more composure on the ball. We stretched the play across the whole pitch and ended up scoring twice. And now, after three and a half years, we're going to play in a World Cup final again," the forward explained. Argentina will face Spain in the title match on July 19.